Communications systems operators provide guides to help provide the video channels and all the programs that come with them, including linear and on-demand programs. Metadata is associated with the programs including the name of the show, actors, start time, end time, ratings, etc. Based on this metadata, parental control may be set up to prevent the viewing of any scenes of programming of a predetermined rating, e.g., PG-13 and above because of adult content. Thus, when a channel is tuned to a program that is not below the predetermined rating, a screen is presented for entering a pin in order to watch access the program.
More often than not, authentication uses a four digit pin to enable access to content. Two forms of pin have been used. A first form of pin is for principal control and the other form of pin is for purchases. Typically, an adult in the house that theoretically has set the pin. Usually this person is the person that knows the pin. Accordingly, the person that set the pin can enter it and thereby watch programs that normally would be filtered to prevent children from watching such programs.
This procedure also applies to purchasing transactions. However, purchasing transactions may not correlate to the filtering requirements associated with program control ratings. For example, subscribers may not want their child to purchase a Disney on-demand movie. The subscriber may approve of the content, but not want such purchases to be enabled. Thus, a separate pin may be used for purchasing transactions.
One problem with such authentication methods, is the user often forgets one or both of the pins. Another problem is that someone else sets it up and the person that is not authorized may want to watch a program or purchase a video-on-demand program. For example, the pins may be set by the smart teenager in the house and the parent does not realize this until later. To have the pins reset, the parent has to contact the communications system operator to request the pin be reset. This is inconvenient to the customer and lowers customer satisfaction.
It can be seen then that there is a need for providing individualized user authentication using a media device remote control.